Our Torahs
We are fortunate to have three exceptional Torah scrolls.
Our New Torah was made especially for Temple Beth El in 2013 by member Benjamin Martin, a traditionally trained sofer (Torah scribe) who lived in Eureka for several years. This beautiful gift was completed after more than 1,000 hours spent writing each letter by hand on specially selected parchment, and culminated in a celebration in which members of the Congregation were invited to fill-in the last remaining letters of the Torah. The remarkable story of this Torah is being chronicled in a documentary film produced by Temple member Ann Alter, who teaches in the Theater, Film & Dance Department at Humboldt State University.
Our 1865 Torah: This Torah has been with the Congregation since (find date) and has been read at holidays and b’nai mitzvahs since it was purchased by the Congregation’s founding members in the 1960’s. Made in (country?) origin, this scroll is used on special holidays that require readings from two different Torah portions. This scroll was repaired by Benjamin Martin in 2011.
Our Czech Memorial Scroll: This scroll has been on permanent loan to the Congregation from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, based at the Westminster Synagogue in London. This remarkable scroll was one of 1,564 Torah scrolls from Bohemia and Moravia that survived the Holocaust, were restored, and distributed to congregations around the world. Due to its age and fragile condition, this scroll is now displayed in a beautiful ark in our foyer. For more about the Memorial Scrolls Trust, visit their websiste.